Seth MacFarlane

Animator / Actor

Born: 26 October 1973

Birthplace: Kent, Connecticut

Best known as:

The creator of the animated series Family Guy

Seth MacFarlane is the creator of the animated series Family Guy. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (1995), he began work as an animator for Hanna-Barbera, working on Cartoon Network programs. His short Larry and Steve (1996), based on a student film called The Life of Larry, won over Fox Network executives and MacFarlane was offered his own show. He animated a pilot for Family Guy on his own and the show made its debut on Fox in early 1999. After a rough few years, the show emerged as a top-selling DVD and rerun favorite. The success of the show led to MacFarlane's other animated series in 2005, American Dad!, and a Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show. He wrote and directed the 2012 comedy Ted (starring Mark Wahlberg and a comically foul-mouthed teddy bear), and in 2013 hosted the Academy Awards broadcast.

Extra credit:

Seth MacFarlane voices various characters in Family Guy, including Peter, Brian and Stewie; he won an Emmy in 2000 for voicing Stewie... MacFarlane writes music and lyrics for his shows and in 2002 he won an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for Family Guy... After the early successes of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane and 20th Century Fox TV agreed to a contract that paid him $100 million through 2012.